Tag: USS Benfold

November 21, 2018 – USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) and USS Curtis D. Wilbur (DDG 54) anchored in Hong Kong Harbor, Nov. 21. They were to have been accompanied by USS Benfold (DDG 65) but no announcement has as yet been made on why not. Ronald Reagan is the flagship for Commander, Task Force (CTF) 70, embarked with Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15. “Hong Kong is always an incredible port visit and I’m glad that the officers and Sailors of Carrier…

October 12, 2018 – USS Chancellorsville and USS Benfold (DDG 65) arrived to Busan, South Korea, Oct. 12. Chancellorsville and Benfold pulled into Busan, South Korea, for a regularly scheduled port visit. Chancellorsville and Benfold are underway with the Ronald Reagan Strike Group, and are forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

More than 38,000 people braved Japan’s summer heat to visit U.S. Fleet Activities (FLEACT) Yokosuka for the installation’s annual Friendship Day festival, Aug. 4. This year marked the 42nd time this base, just 36 miles south of Tokyo, opened its gates for the summer event. Visitors enjoyed sampling American food and watching a variety of entertainment at Yokosuka venues, but this year’s big draws rested at FLEACT Yokosuka’s waterfront where visitors got a chance to tour ships of both the 7th Fleet’s Forward Deployed Naval Forces and a ship from…

A US Navy official confirmed that two US warships passed through the Taiwan Straits between Saturday and Sunday. Chinese experts told the Global Times that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had most likely monitored their movements closely. “Two US Navy ships conducted a routine transit through the international waters of the Taiwan Straits on July 7-8 (local time),” Captain Charlie Brown, a spokesman for the US Pacific Fleet, was quoted by Reuters as saying in a statement on Sunday. “US Navy Ships transit between the South China Sea and East…

Indian Naval Ships Sahyadri, Shakti and Kamorta of the Eastern Fleet under the command of Rear Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, NM, Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Fleet currently on an overseas deployment to South East Asia and the Western Pacific, arrived at Guam on 07 June 18 to participate in the 22nd edition of Exercise Malabar, off Guam, USA from 07 to 16 June 2018. Exercise Malabar, which started as a bilateral exercise between the US Navy and the Indian Navy in 1992, has evolved over the years with the participation…

USS Benfold (DDG 65) arrived in Santa Rita, Guam, for a regularly scheduled port visit, June 5. “It’s always a pleasure to pull into Guam,” said Cmdr. Leroy Mitchell, Benfold’s commanding officer. “This is a chance for our Sailors to have the opportunity to experience the hospitality and culture in Guam and get some well-deserved rest and relaxation.” While in Guam, Sailors will be able to volunteer for community service projects and participate in Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) tours. “For some Sailors, it’ll be their first time [visiting Guam],”…

Naval ships, aircraft and personnel from India, Japan and the United States will participate in Exercise Malabar 2018, in mid-summer 2018 off the coast of Guam. Malabar 2018 is the first time the exercise has been conducted off the coast of Guam, and the latest in a continuing series of exercises that has grown in scope and complexity over the years to address the variety of shared threats to maritime security. The exercise will feature both ashore and at-sea training off the coast of Guam in the Philippine Sea. Training…

USS Antietam (CG 54) led a surface-to-air missile exercise (SAMEX) during MultiSail 18 with U.S. forward-deployed naval forces and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces (JMSDF) March 10. This SAMEX builds interoperability between the U.S. Navy and the JMSDF, which strengthens the U.S.-Japan alliance. This year’s participants include five warships, destroyers USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54), USS Benfold (DDG 65), USS Mustin (DDG 89), along with JS Fuyuzuki (DD-118) and Antietam. “Antietam plays an integral role in this year’s exercises, while leading the SAMEX and adding the cruiser point of view to…

Units and personnel from the U.S. Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) are scheduled to participate in the annual bilateral training exercise MultiSail 2018, Mar. 8-14. MultiSail is an annual bilateral training exercise that improves interoperability between U.S. and Japanese forces. In 2018 the focus of the exercise will be on improving fundamental skills such as tracking and defeating submarines, combatting other surface forces, live fire training, and interoperability with U.S. and JMSDF units. “MultiSail is an opportunity for our ships to increase our combat proficiency at sea,”…

USS Benfold (DDG 65) was participating in a scheduled towing exercise in Sagami Wan Nov. 18, when the tug boat lost propulsion and drifted into the ship. No one was injured on either vessel and Benfold sustained minimal damage, including scrapes on its side, pending a full damage assessment. Benfold remains at sea under her own power. The Japanese commercial tug is being towed by another vessel to a port in Yokosuka. The incident will be investigated. Benfold is forward deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in…

The U.S. and Singaporean navies concluded Exercise Pacific Griffin 2017 in Guam September 2. Pacific Griffin 17, which began Aug. 19, served as this year’s U.S.-Singapore annual maritime exercise. It was coordinated months in advance by planners from both navies, officials said. Pacific Griffin highlights the longstanding maritime partnership between the U.S. and the Republic of Singapore navies through 23 years of annual-bilateral exercises. “The U.S. Navy deeply values our close partnership with the Republic of Singapore Navy,” said Navy Capt. Lex Walker, commodore of Destroyer Squadron 7. “Pacific Griffin…